What’s Hot: Beautiful finish, superbly balanced handling and a big bootWhat’s Not: A little unexpected tyre noise from the rearX-FACTOR: The addition of a boot without sacrificing style; and it’s as comfortable as a large sedan

OVERVIEW

Audi is understandably proud of its new fashion statement, the spanking new 2014 A3 Sedan.

As small notchbacks go, this one ‘works’: it looks smart, goes exceptionally well, and is very classy inside.

And that boot. Deep and wide, you have to wonder how anyone found all that space inside the A3’s trim metal skin without it looking like a hippo.

It certainly hasn’t come at the expense of legroom. That’s another plus in this not-so-little small Audi. Though headroom is tight for taller rear-passengers, there’s ample room for knees.

It is, in fact, larger – just a little – than the first A4 sedan sold here.

Start lining up the pluses – a beautifully trimmed interior, large-car comfort, sporty handling and very willing engines – and you’ve got a whole lot of reasons to have a very good look at this new one from Audi.

A small car it may be (in reality, not so small), but this A3 Sedan is as effortless on road as a much larger saloon.

And though there’s a premium badge on the nose, its sub-$40k entry price (plus on roads) has it leaning on the ‘home-brands’ for value buying.

We drove three of the variants at launch, we missed the Quattro, and came away more than impressed.

The entry price of the 1.4 TFSI Attaction is a whole $10k less than the equivalent Mercedes CLA.

So the gloves would appear to be off in the welterweight division of the premium car wars.

THE INTERIOR

Look, it’s not the last word in daring style, it’s too ‘safe’ – everything where it should be, nice straight lines, nothing too challenging – but Audi knows how to put an appealing interior together.

This one, especially in the 1.8 TFSI Ambition, is a smart place to spend some time.

The Ambition we drove came in two-tone bluish/grey leather and looked especially classy. (Sombre black interiors are starting to tire on me.)

All the touch points, everywhere, are right. The textures appeal, there’s a bit of ‘give’ below the fingers suggesting quality, and the metal garnishes (there are various choices) add a crisp modern air to a surprisingly spacious cabin.

I’m on the stumpy side of short, and I found the seats in every model just to my liking. (Maybe bigger bums than my athletically trim posterior may not find them quite so generous or comfortable... but...)

There is good shaping to the backrests, sufficient padding and adjustment, and a slide-able underthigh cushion.

The multi-function wheel is also ‘just right’. The computer functions are easily navigated and the standard pop-up 5.8 inch screen looks really smart, and is also easily navigated via the rotary controller.

And the boot, it offers 425 litres of cargo space with the seats in place, rising to 880 with the rear seats folded.

ON THE ROAD

The new A3 Sedan shares not a single panel with its A3 hatch bro’. Its platform is wider (by 11mm) and it also sits on a wider track (20mm), and is 146mm longer overall.

But in case you’re wondering, it hasn’t gained fat. At a low 1250kg, and with an aluminium bonnet and front panels, it’s something of a lightweight in modern terms.

And on road it shows.

This car, any model you care to choose, is a very good drive. Brisk engines, rapid-fire shifts through the twin-clutch auto, and a really alert feel at the wheel.

Put it through a set of turns at speed, and, like its arch-enemy, Mercedes CLA, you can’t help but wonder at the superb handling balance.

The feel through the sporty steering is very good (I don’t get the “numb” comment that some make about Audi’s steering set-ups), turn-in is flat and sharp, and the rear end balance – lateral, and fore and aft – is as good as you’ll find.

Yet it’s not overly firm, neither is it jittery.

This, surely, is as good as a small sedan can feel in that compromise between comfort, handling balance and sporty feel.

That little 1.4 TFSI engine has no trouble firing the A3 sedan out of a hole. Neither the 1.8 TFSI – it just does it a little quicker.

And the 2.0 litre TDI is a bit more ‘settled’ than its petrol-engined brothers once on the move, but a tad slower off the mark than the 1.8 TFSI (it manages 8.4 seconds, like the 1.4 TFSI, in the 0-100km/h bolt; the 1.8 TFSI, 7.3 seconds).

The only debit on road was a little road noise from the rear; it’s otherwise quiet and free of errant squeaks or rattles.

Key specifications:

1.4 TFSI: cylinder-on-demand technology (shutting down two cylinders when not under load)

I have owned an A3 sedan 1.8 quattro for the past 7 months, in a word it is garbage.Transmission issues has mean a replacement box at 9000kms, problems with the sensors meant it has guided itself on numerous times in to the gutter when using the park assist feature.MMI faults and need replacing. Adaptive cruise control is in 10km intervals unlike the standard cruise control which can be set in 1km intervals. Excessive road noise in the cabin - however it is most likely due to the Dunlop tyres they fit it with.
A very disappointing ownership experience.